NEW DELHI, 18 October 2021, (TON): At least 18 people have officially died and another 12 are missing after the southern Indian state of Kerala was hit by flooding. Flash floods and landslides followed downpours that left rescue services scrambling to help.

Among those whose bodies were recovered in Koottickal, in Kottayam, were two women and a child and at least five houses were washed away, media sources reported.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force and the Indian army and navy were deployed in Kottayam and Idukki. Those two districts and four others were reported to have been put on red alert after at least one of them saw more than 12cm of rain by 8.30 p.m. local time.

Officials said that the intense rainfall has subsided, but they fear the death toll could rise as relief and rescue operations continue.

Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah said the federal government was monitoring the situation in Kerala and would provide any necessary support to the state. He said on Twitter "praying for everyone's safety."

In a statement released on his official Twitter account, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said “my heartfelt condolence to the bereaved families. I request people to be vigilant, pay heed to warnings & cooperate with rescue teams.”

In 2018, 223 people died and hundreds of thousands were driven from their homes when Kerala suffered catastrophic floods during monsoon season.